System for enhancing sonotrode performance in ultrasonic additive manufacturing applications

ABSTRACT

An ultrasonic welding assembly, comprising a sonotrode, wherein the sonotrode further includes at least one welding region and at least one node adjacent to the welding region; a mount for supporting the sonotrode, wherein the mount further includes a force application region; at least one ultrasonic transducer connected to the sonotrode for transmitting acoustic vibrations to the at least one welding region; at least one roller connected to the sonotrode in a flexible manner for permitting rotation of the sonotrode about its axis; a device for maintaining axial alignment of the sonotrode relative to a target welding area; and a low-friction bearing in contact with the at least one node for the application of force thereto, wherein the at least one low-friction bearing is connected to the mount.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/723,312 filed on Mar. 12, 2010, which is now U.S. Pat. No.8,082,966, and which is entitled “System for Enhancing SonotrodePerformance in Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing Applications”, thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety and made part of the present U.S. utility patent applicationfor all purposes.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

This invention was made with support under Contract No. DAAD19-03-2-0002awarded by the U.S. Army. The U.S. Government has certain rights in theinvention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The described invention relates in general to ultrasonic welding systemsand more specifically to a device and method for enhancing theperformance of sonotrodes used in ultrasonic additive manufacturingapplications.

Ultrasonic welding is an industrial process involving high-frequencyultrasonic acoustic vibrations that are locally applied to workpiecesbeing held together under pressure to create a solid-state weld. Thisprocess has applications in the electrical/electronic, automotive,aerospace, appliance, and medical industries and is commonly used forplastics and especially for joining dissimilar materials. Ultrasonicwelding of thermoplastics results in local melting of the plastic due toabsorption of vibration energy. The vibrations are introduced across thejoint to be welded. In metals, ultrasonic welding occurs due tohigh-pressure dispersion of surface oxides and local motion of thematerials. Although there is heating, it is not enough to melt the basematerials. Vibrations are introduced along the joint being welded.

Ultrasonic welding systems typically include the following components:(i) a press to apply pressure to the two parts to be assembled underpressure; (ii) a nest or anvil where the parts are placed for allowinghigh frequency vibration to be directed to the interfaces of the parts;(iii) an ultrasonic stack that includes a converter or piezoelectrictransducer for converting the electrical signal into a mechanicalvibration, an optional booster for modifying the amplitude of thevibration (it is also used in standard systems to clamp the stack in thepress), and a sonotrode or horn for applying the mechanical vibration tothe parts to be welded (note: all three components of the stack arespecifically tuned to resonate at the same exact ultrasonic frequencywhich is typically 20, 30, 35 or 40 kHz); (iv) an electronic ultrasonicgenerator or power supply delivering a high power AC signal withfrequency matching the resonance frequency of the stack; and (v) acontroller for controlling the movement of the press and the delivery ofthe ultrasonic energy.

In an exemplary system, the power supply provides high-frequencyelectrical power to the piezoelectric-based transducer, creating ahigh-frequency mechanical vibration at the end of the transducer. Thisvibration is transmitted through the booster section, which may bedesigned to amplify the vibration, and is then transmitted to thesonotrode, which transmits the vibrations to the workpieces. Theworkpieces, usually two thin sheets of metal in a simple lap joint, arefirmly clamped between the sonotrode and a rigid anvil by a staticforce. The top workpiece is gripped against the moving sonotrode by aknurled pattern on the sonotrode surface. Likewise, the bottom workpieceis gripped against the anvil by a knurled pattern on the anvil. Theultrasonic vibrations of the sonotrode, which are parallel to theworkpiece surfaces, create the relative frictionlike motion between theinterface of the workpieces, causing the deformation, shearing, andflattening of surface asperities. Welding system components, commonlyreferred to as the transmission line or “stack” are typically housed inan enclosure case that grips the welding assembly at critical locations(most commonly the anti-node) so as to not dampen the ultrasonicvibrations, and to provide a means of applying a force to and moving theassembly to bring the sonotrode into contact with the workpieces andapply the static force.

A number of parameters can affect the welding process, such asultrasonic frequency, vibration amplitude, static force, power, energy,time, materials, part geometry, and tooling. With regard to tooling,which includes the sonotrode, welding tip, and the anvil, thesecomponents support the parts to be welded and transmit ultrasonic energyand static force. The welding tip is usually machined as an integralpart of a solid sonotrode. The sonotrode is exposed to ultrasonicvibration and resonates in frequency as “contraction” and “expansion” xtimes per second, with x being the frequency. The amplitude is typicallya few micrometers (about 13 μm to 130 μm). The shape of the sonotrode(round, square, with teeth, profiled, etc), depends on the quantity ofvibratory energy and a physical constraint for a specific application.Sonotrodes are made of titanium, aluminum or steel. For an ultrasonicwelding application, the sonotrode provides energy directly to thewelding contact area, with little diffraction. This is particularlyhelpful when vibrations propagation could damage surrounding components.

Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is an additive manufacturingtechnique based on the ultrasonic welding of metal foils and computernumerically controlled (CNC) contour milling. UAM can also becharacterized as a solid-state metal deposition process that allowsbuild-up or net-shape fabrication of metal components. High-frequency(typically 20,000 hertz) ultrasonic vibrations are locally applied tometal foil materials, held together under pressure, to create asolid-state weld. CNC contour milling is then used to create therequired shape for the given layer. This process is then repeated untila solid component has been created or a feature is repaired or added toa component. UAM can join dissimilar metal materials of differentthicknesses and allow for the embedment of fiber materials at relativelylow temperature, (typically <50% of the metal matrix meltingtemperature) and pressure into solid metal matrices.

Current UAM technology utilizes titanium based tools which tend to wearrapidly, often resulting in a loss of displacement of the target mediadue to insufficient interaction of worn texture profiles during theultrasonic welding process. Deflection of the sonotrode and loss ofdisplacement under various forces can significantly affect the bondquality of build-ups of metal components during the UAM process.Incorporation of advanced tool steels into modified sonotrode designswould permit higher, more uniform stress distribution in the system,thereby allowing higher static forces to be applied to advancedmaterials while retaining critical surface texturing over extendedperiods of time. Therefore, there is a need for a sonotrode design thatassists the UAM welding process by generating higher static forcesrequired for transmitting increased levels of ultrasonic energy usefulfor producing components that include Ni, Ti, or high speed steel (HSS).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following provides a summary of certain exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention. This summary is not an extensive overview and is notintended to identify key or critical aspects or elements of the presentinvention or to delineate its scope.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an ultrasonicwelding assembly is provided. This ultrasonic welding assembly includesa sonotrode, wherein the sonotrode further includes at least one weldingregion and at least one node adjacent to the welding region; a mount forsupporting the sonotrode, wherein the mount further includes a forceapplication region; at least one ultrasonic transducer connected to thesonotrode for transmitting acoustic vibrations to the at least onewelding region; at least one roller connected to the sonotrode in aflexible manner for permitting rotation of the sonotrode about its axis;a device for maintaining axial alignment of the sonotrode relative to atarget welding area; and a low-friction bearing in contact with the atleast one node for the application of force thereto, wherein the atleast one low-friction bearing is connected to the mount.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, anultrasonic welding system is provided. This ultrasonic welding systemincludes a sonotrode, wherein the sonotrode further includes a weldingregion and at least one node adjacent to the welding region on eitherside thereof; a mount for supporting the sonotrode, wherein the mountfurther includes a force application region; at least two ultrasonictransducers connected to the sonotrode on opposite sides of the weldingregion for transmitting acoustic vibrations to the welding region; atleast two rollers connected to the sonotrode in a flexible manner forpermitting rotation of the sonotrode about its axis; a device connectedto each roller for maintaining axial alignment of the sonotrode relativeto a target welding area; and a low-friction bearing in contact witheach node for the application of force thereto, wherein eachlow-friction bearing is connected to the mount.

In yet another aspect of this invention, an ultrasonic welding systemfor use in ultrasonic additive manufacturing is provided. Thisultrasonic welding system includes a sonotrode, wherein the sonotrodefurther includes a welding region and at least one node adjacent to thewelding region on either side thereof; a mount for supporting thesonotrode, wherein the mount further includes a force applicationregion; at least two ultrasonic transducers connected to the sonotrodeon opposite sides of the welding region for transmitting acousticvibrations to the welding region; at least two rollers connected to thesonotrode in a flexible manner for permitting rotation of the sonotrodeabout its axis; a device connected to each roller for maintaining axialalignment of the sonotrode relative to a target welding area, whereinthe device includes at least one linear guide; and a low-frictionbearing in contact with each node for the application of force thereto,wherein each low-friction bearing is connected to the mount.

Additional features and aspects of the present invention will becomeapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading andunderstanding the following detailed description of the exemplaryembodiments. As will be appreciated by the skilled artisan, furtherembodiments of the invention are possible without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings andassociated descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative and notrestrictive in nature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a partof the specification, schematically illustrate one or more exemplaryembodiments of the invention and, together with the general descriptiongiven above and detailed description given below, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of theultrasonic welding assembly of the present invention showing thesonotrode and the various mounting features used therewith forconnecting the sonotrode to the ultrasonic transducers and to themounting plate;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the assembly of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are now described withreference to the Figures. Reference numerals are used throughout thedetailed description to refer to the various elements and structures.Although the following detailed description contains many specifics forthe purposes of illustration, a person of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that many variations and alterations to the following detailsare within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the followingembodiments of the invention are set forth without any loss ofgenerality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimedinvention.

The present invention relates to an advanced tool design that increasesor enhances the performance of sonotrodes used in ultrasonic additivemanufacturing (UAM) processes for metals, plastics, and textiles. Morespecifically, this invention provides more efficient energy transmissionto the materials interface creating a superior weld and greatlyincreases the strength of the final product. Additionally, the presentinvention may reduce the linear void density of the final product fromthe 30-40% of prior art systems to less than 1%. As previouslyindicated, a first general embodiment of this invention provides anultrasonic welding assembly; a second general embodiment of thisinvention provides an ultrasonic welding device; and a third generalembodiment of this invention provides an ultrasonic welding device foruse in ultrasonic additive manufacturing. With reference now to theFigures, one or more specific embodiments of this invention shall bedescribed in greater detail.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of this invention thatincludes module mount or mounting plate 10, having a force applicationregion 12 formed thereon where a press or the like is attached orconnected for applying downward force to welding assembly 14. Full wavesonotrode 100 includes first body portion 102, first nodal region 104,textured welding surface 106, second nodal region 108 and second bodyportion 110. First spring clamp plate 200 is connected to first bodyportion 102 and first diaphragm spring 202 is connected to first springclamp plate 200. First diaphragm spring mount 204 is connected to firstdiaphragm spring 202. First floating roller bearing 206 is connected tofirst diaphragm spring mount 204 (by way of first support ring 500,which acts as a housing for roller bearing 206) and first retaining ring208 is connected to first floating roller bearing 206. Second springclamp plate 300 is connected to second body portion 110 and seconddiaphragm spring 302 is connected to second spring clamp plate 300.Second diaphragm spring mount 304 is connected to second diaphragmspring 302. Second floating roller bearing 306 is connected to seconddiaphragm spring mount 304 (by way of second support ring 600, whichacts as a housing for second roller bearing 306) and second retainingring 308 is connected to second floating roller bearing 306.

Connecting diaphragm springs 202 and 302 to support rings 500 and 600respectively, permits sonotrode 100 to rotate. Connecting support rings500 and 600 to linear guides 504, 510, 604 and 610, as described belowprovides an additional degree of freedom for allowing welding assembly14 to deflect under substantial loads. The floating diaphragm springsystem of the present invention allows an ultrasonic transmission lineto be subjected to extremely high loads, and at the same time, allowsthe system to rotate at variable speeds and operate in a resonant modewith minimal power consumption. Previous UAM systems where limited tosoft metals and plastic due to system limitations that preventedadequate forces from being applied to the workpiece.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, first transducer 400 is connected to firstretaining ring 208. First transducer 400 includes first air fitting 402.First brush mount unit 404 is connected to first transducer 400 andincludes electrical brush mount contacts 406. First brush mount unit 404is also connected to mounting plate 10 for supporting a portion weldingassembly 14. Second transducer 408 is connected to second retaining ring308. Second transducer 408 includes second air fitting 410. Second brushmount unit 412 is connected to second transducer 408 and includeselectrical brush mount contacts 414. Second brush mount unit 412 is alsoconnected to mounting plate 10 for supporting a portion welding assembly14.

First floating roller or roller bearing 206 is encircled by and enclosedin first support ring 500. As best shown in FIG. 2, first biasing memberor spring 502 is disposed between first support ring 500 and firstlinear guide 504. First linear guide 504 is connected to first springseat mount 506, which is connected directly to mounting plate 12 (seeFIG. 1). Second biasing member or spring 508 is disposed between firstsupport ring 500 and second linear guide 510. Second linear guide 510 isconnected to second spring seat mount 512, which is connected directlyto mounting plate 12. Second floating roller or roller bearing 306 isencircled by and enclosed in second support ring 600. As best shown inFIG. 2, third biasing member or spring 602 is disposed between secondsupport ring 600 and third linear guide 604. Third linear guide 604 isconnected to third spring seat mount 606, which is connected directly tomounting plate 12 (see FIG. 1). Fourth biasing member or spring 608 isdisposed between second support ring 600 and fourth linear guide 610.Fourth linear guide 610 is connected to fourth spring seat mount 612,which is connected directly to mounting plate 12.

As best shown in FIGS. 2-3, first bearing support housing 700 isconnected directly to mounting plate 12 and first low-friction bearing702. Second bearing support housing 704 is also connected to mountingplate 12 and directly to second low-friction bearing 706. Supporthousings 700 and 704 distribute forces to the nodal regions of sonotrode100. First low-friction bearing 702 is mounted directly over first nodalregion 102 on sonotrode 100 and second low-friction bearing 706 ismounted directly over second nodal region 108 on sonotrode 100, both ina free state. Low-friction bearings 702 and 706 include various knownspecialty coatings, making them low-friction or reduced-friction innature. Unlike more conventional systems that use diaphragm springs tosupport, locate, and apply force to the materials being welded, force isapplied in the present invention through low-friction bearings 702 and706. These low friction bearings, which may also be referred to asstatic bearings or force transmission bearing, permit transmission ofultrasonic vibrations while exerting high loads on materials while thematerials are subjected the rotary motion of sonotrode 100. This isparticularly advantageous because while some prior art designs permitapplication of forces to the nodal position, they do not permitrotation, and in some cases require higher power levels to maintainresonance. The low-friction bearing 702 and 706 allow for theapplication of extremely high forces with an extremely low coefficientof friction, thereby permitting the entire stack to go into resonance atlow power levels while also rotating. Upon the application of ultrasonicenergy, vibrations are applied to the supporting regions which allowsfor smooth rotation due to the friction reduction phenomena associatedwith ultrasonic vibrations.

With regard to proper functioning of the present invention, two aspectsof the described system are of particular importance with regard toachieving optimal performance of a very high power UAM welding module,i.e., allowing for movement of the anti-resonant regions whilemaintaining positional alignment.

First is the ability to transmit acoustical vibrations through asonotrode as it is being subjected to extremely high loads. In theexemplary embodiment of the present invention, force is transmitteddirectly to the nodal region of the sonotrode closest to the workingsurface giving the least amount of deflection. “Low-friction” bearingcoatings permit lower start-up power requirements for achieving systemresonance. This coating material significantly reduces the contactfriction between the tooling applying the force and sonotrode 100. Thisis an important aspect because the sonotrode should transmit vibrationswhich in turn create displacement. If these surfaces were fullyconstrained, more power would be required to put the system in motion.Sonotrodes that transmit longitudinal vibrations undergo natural lateralexpansion and contraction arising from the Poisson effect (see“Introduction to High Power Ultrasonics, Graff, Chapter 2, section2.2.4, FIG. 2.12). The present invention utilizes reduced frictionbearing surfaces which require lower power to break free from staticfriction and makes use of radial vibrations caused by this expansion andcontraction feature. This effect creates intermittent contact at theregions of force application. As a result, reduction of frictionalforces at the bearing surfaces (or force applied regions) is achieved.As stated, the coated bearing surfaces apply high forces up to7,000-lbs. However, due to the specialty coatings (e.g., Frelon), thesystem requires minimal start up power to break free from the staticfriction at the interface. As the system goes into resonance, thePoisson effect generates an even higher friction reduction state sincethere is high frequency intermittent contact at the nodal region.

Second, a mounting mechanism in the form of a positional attachmentdevice is provided to facilitate the proper functioning of thecomponents described in the previous paragraph. Due to the forcesexerted on sonotrode 100 during operation of the present invention,there will be inherent deflection in the system which must be consideredto avoid the need for additional power to achieve resonance. In theexemplary embodiment, diaphragm springs 202 and 302 are connected tolow-friction roller bearings 206 and 306 that are bolted to linearguides 504, 510, 604 and 610 which permit deflection in the Z-axis(i.e., downward). In this manner, sonotrode 100 “floats” under highloads without dampening acoustical vibrations. Since the system ispermitted to float, or move where needed, the energy required to put thesystem in resonance is minimal, and output energy is more correctlydistributed to the sonotrode's interface. This design permits operationat extremely high loads such as 5,000-lbs while transmitting high powervibrations in the order of 10-kW or 5-kW per transducer. The secondfunction of diaphragm springs 202 and 302, acting in combination withlinear guides 504, 510, 604 and 610 is to provide accurate andrepeatable placement of the welding surface. Diaphragm springs 202 and302 provide motion in the Z-axis. Moreover, the rigid constraintprovided by low friction roller bearings 702 and 706 and linear guides504, 510, 604 and 610 provide accurate positioning in both the X- andY-axis. Thus, while linear guides 504, 510, 604 and 610 facilitateaccurate positioning, roller bearings 206 and 306 allow forsubstantially continuous rotary motion. Furthermore, diaphragm springs202 and 302 are not used to apply a load, but rather their inclusionallows for deflection of sonotrode 100 while exerting extremely highforces at welding surface 106. The present invention permits higherloads, e.g., increased from 400 to 7000 lbs, and ultrasonic energylevels increased from 1 kW to 9 kW are used to improve bonding andconsolidation of deposited base materials. Additionally, the presentinvention provides preheating to soften the base materials to be bondedto allow bonding of higher-strength materials than would be feasiblewith prior art systems.

While the present invention has been illustrated by the description ofexemplary embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have beendescribed in certain detail, it is not the intention of the Applicant torestrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to suchdetail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broaderaspects is not limited to any of the specific details, representativedevices and methods, and/or illustrative examples shown and described.Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the applicant's general inventive concept.For example, in one embodiment of this invention, unique sonotrodetextures are used achieve enhanced transmission of the high vibrationenergy from the sonotrode to the base material to be welded. Othermodifications are possible.

1. An ultrasonic welding assembly, comprising: (a) a sonotrode, whereinthe sonotrode further includes at least one welding region and at leastone node adjacent to the welding region; (b) a mount for supporting thesonotrode, wherein the mount further includes a force applicationregion; (c) at least one ultrasonic transducer connected to thesonotrode for transmitting acoustic vibrations to the at least onewelding region; (d) at least one roller connected to the sonotrode in aflexible manner for permitting rotation of the sonotrode about its axis;(e) a device connected to the roller for maintaining axial alignment ofthe sonotrode relative to a target welding area; and (f) at least onelow-friction bearing in contact with the at least one node for theapplication of force thereto, wherein the at least one low-frictionbearing is connected to the mount.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, furtherincluding a diaphragm spring disposed between the ultrasonic transducerand the sonotrode for permitting rotation of the sonotrode about itsaxis.
 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the device for maintainingaxial alignment of the sonotrode relative to a target welding areaincludes at least one linear guide.
 4. The assembly of claim 3, whereinthe at least one roller further includes a roller bearing.
 5. Theassembly of claim 4, further comprising a support ring, wherein thesupport ring encircles the roller bearing, and wherein the support ringis connected to the mount.
 6. The assembly of claim 5, furthercomprising a biasing member mounted between the support ring and thelinear guide.
 7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the mount furtherincludes a mounting plate having a force application region on the uppersurface thereof.
 8. An ultrasonic welding system, comprising: (a) asonotrode, wherein the sonotrode further includes a welding region andat least one node adjacent to the welding region on either side thereof;(b) a mount for supporting the sonotrode, wherein the mount furtherincludes a force application region; (c) at least two ultrasonictransducers connected to the sonotrode on opposite sides of the weldingregion for transmitting acoustic vibrations to the welding region; (d)at least two rollers connected to the sonotrode in a flexible manner forpermitting rotation of the sonotrode about its axis; (e) a deviceconnected to each roller for maintaining axial alignment of thesonotrode relative to a target welding area; and (f) a low-frictionbearing in contact with each node for the application of force thereto,wherein each low-friction bearing is connected to the mount.
 9. Thesystem of claim 8, further including a diaphragm spring disposed betweeneach ultrasonic transducer and the sonotrode for permitting rotation ofthe sonotrode about its axis.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein thedevice connected to each roller for maintaining axial alignment of thesonotrode relative to a target welding area includes at least one linearguide.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein each roller further includesa roller bearing.
 12. The system of claim 11, further comprising supportrings encircling each roller bearing, and wherein each support ring isconnected to the mount.
 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising abiasing member mounted between each support ring and each linear guide.14. The system of claim 8, wherein the mount further includes a mountingplate having a force application region on the upper surface thereof.15. An ultrasonic welding system for use in ultrasonic additivemanufacturing, comprising: (a) a sonotrode, wherein the sonotrodefurther includes a welding region and at least one node adjacent to thewelding region on either side thereof; (b) a mount for supporting thesonotrode, wherein the mount further includes a force applicationregion; (c) at least two ultrasonic transducers connected to thesonotrode on opposite sides of the welding region for transmittingacoustic vibrations to the welding region; (d) at least two rollersconnected to the sonotrode in a flexible manner for permitting rotationof the sonotrode about its axis; (e) a device connected to each rollerfor maintaining axial alignment of the sonotrode relative to a targetwelding area, wherein the device includes at least one linear guide; and(f) a low-friction bearing in contact with each node for the applicationof force thereto, wherein each low-friction bearing is connected to themount.
 16. The system of claim 15, further including a diaphragm springdisposed between each ultrasonic transducer and the sonotrode forpermitting rotation of the sonotrode about its axis.
 17. The system ofclaim 15, wherein each roller further includes a roller bearing.
 18. Thesystem of claim 17, further comprising support rings encircling eachroller bearing, and wherein each support ring is connected to the mount.19. The assembly of claim 18, further comprising a biasing membermounted between each support ring and each linear guide.
 20. Theassembly of claim 15, wherein the mount further includes a mountingplate having a force application region on the upper surface thereof.